Countryside

In Thailand, many houses
have two floors. The bottom is a shop to work or to sell goods. The
first floor contains the bedrooms.

In rural Thailand, many houses are built on poles in order that
animals, creeping insects cannot enter inside.

Thai house

Often many relatives are found living under one roof.
Old parents don't go to retirement houses but stay with their children.

When building a new house, Thai architects start by the foundations, build poles
in angles and then install the roof before finishing the walls. When building a house,
Thai people often lay supplementary soil, which should lie idle during one year. As
Thai people fear inundations, it is safer that the house is above the ground level.
If the ground moves, fissures in the walls may appear as thin red bricks are used.
So it is very important to dig deep ground foundations for the house.

Thai house

In rural area, water access can be problem, especially
during hot season. Water acess is often stopped due to water shortage. So many people built
a well to get artesian water ("NAM BADAN" - น้ำบาดาล).
Due to environment problems, such wells could be sooner or later forbidden.

Beware mosquitoes when rain retreat is
coming. Thai houses are often opened to the exterior.
Mosquitoes enter easily.
Stagnant water shall be avoided. In public areas there
are advertisement to tell Thai people how to get rid of mosquitoes.
Thai traditional bathrooms with their water container are a place
where mosquitoes are numerous.

Thai house

In Thailand, due to monsoon, buildings
are getting old faster. Permanent renovation is necessary.

In Thai modern houses, there is the air conditioning but no heating.
In Thai northeast and northern areas, temperatures can be as low as 10 °C / 50 °F
during winter.

Thai house

The house area is an open space. Thai
neighbours just enter to see what is going on. There is no privacy, no
invitation. When Thai people enter in a Thai house, they shall remove their shoes at the entrance.
In almost every Thai house, TV, fridge, radio can be found.

Thai people still like wooden houses but teak wood price is
now too expensive. Sometimes Thai people get wood from old houses
in order to build new home.

Thai house

Rural Thai people think it is always safer to live close to a road
and to have neighbours. This is due to the fear of robbers.
Often an outdoor light is lit at nighttime to avoid dark areas around the
house. A wall is also built around the house.

House

Some Thai-style wooden houses are made of old traditional teak houses brought in
from various regions of Thailand as teak logging is now forbidden.

Thai-style wooden house

Teak wood is very popular for Thai traditional houses as it is long lasting
and termite-resistant. Nowadays teak is more difficult to find due to the prohibition
against teak logging.

Thai-style wooden house

Illegal timber can still be found in Thailand. It may come
from Laos, Burma or from illegal encroachments in Thai forests.

Thai-style wooden house

Modern Thai houses are built with cement and bricks. Teak wood
is too expensive.

Thai house

Some Thai people are afraid of Thai-style wooden houses as they may have a long history
and features some ghostly stories.